


Black and White Roses

by AnimeFan299110



Category: Kuroshitsuji | Black Butler
Genre: Alternate Universe, Death, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Falling In Love, Friends to Enemies, Love/Hate, loss of family
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-26
Updated: 2018-11-04
Packaged: 2019-07-02 15:25:13
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,996
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15799296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AnimeFan299110/pseuds/AnimeFan299110
Summary: AU. Instead of killing her, Ciel decides to spare Doll. Join the two of them as they embark on dangerous adventures that will take the two of them to hell and back. Ciel/Doll in future chapters





	1. His Butler, Merciful

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ciel spares Doll and explains who he is and his mission.

**Hi guys! Well, here it is. My first Black Butler story. The reason I wrote this story is because I liked Doll/Freckles and I hated how Toboso killed her off. She could have brought so much to the series if he had let her live. Also, I'm a bit of a Ciel/Doll shipper. Out of all the women in Ciel's life, I feel that Doll would be the only one that could potential bring any sort of joy into Ciel's life. Anyway, I do not own Kuroshitsuji, its characters, or its locations. They are all owned by Yana Toboso, Square Enix, A-1 Pictures, and Funimation.**

* * *

"I WON'T FORGIVE!" The girl known as Doll yelled to the young boy and the man who was carrying him as her adoptive father's house burned behind them. "I WON'T FORGIVE YOU, SMILE!" She continued as she pulled out a knife from her clothing and charged at the two.

As she ran towards them, the wind blew aside the fragment of hair that covered her left eye. Ciel Phantomhive was shocked at what he saw. Where a normal eye should have been, there was instead what looked like a burn mark over it, causing said eye to be deformed with only a slit to indicate the sclera. As he continued to look at the tears that flowed out of both eyes, it finally dawned on Ciel that he and Doll were almost similar. Both were damaged, both were lost, and both were left alone in the world with no true family. He felt a pang in his chest and a feeling that he thought would never arise again: pity.

"Sebastian," he addressed to the butler as the young girl made her way closer and closer to them. "Knock her out."

"As you wish, my Lord." Sebastian replied as he set Ciel down on the ground. With lightning speed, Sebastian made his way behind Doll and raised his right hand flat. "My deepest apologies." He said as the side of his hand came down to connect with the back of Doll's neck.

Doll let out a gasp as she felt her entire body go limp. She soon lost her footing and landed on the dirt path, the knife skidding until it rested at Ciel's feet. In a last-ditch effort, Doll reached out a hand in the hopes of grabbing the young lord. "Won't…forgive…you." She struggled to say before she slipped out of consciousness.

'I'm sorry.' Ciel thought as he looked at the face of the girl who thought he was her friend, tears still visible from both eyes. He then turned to his faithful butler. "Sebastian," he said, "Take Doll and I home."

"May I ask why, my Lord?" Sebastian said with a raised eyebrow.

"Are you questioning me?" Ciel asked in annoyance. "I gave you an order: take Doll and I back to the manor!"

"Of course, my young Lord." Sebastian said with a bow and a smug grin. "After all, I am bound to serve you until you have fulfilled your goals. That was the term to our contract, after all." He then picked up Doll and slung her over his right shoulder. After he cradled Ciel in his left arm, he said, "I would advise you wrap your arms around my neck, my Lord. It will be a rather bumpy ride." As soon as Ciel secured himself, the demon butler lept forward and sprinted toward the Phantomhive Manor as the Kelvin Manor continued to burn behind them.

* * *

"Doll…Doll…"

The circus performer opened her eyes to see herself surrounded by darkness. She tried to move to find the person behind the voice, but couldn't move for some reason.

"Doll…Doll…"

She turned her head and soon was face to face with Joker, who was looking at her with sadness. "J-Joker?" She asked in shock.

"Live for us, Doll." He said quietly. "Live for us." And with that, he turned and walked away from her.

"Wait, Joker!" She cried as she saw him slowly fade away. "Don't leave me!"

* * *

"Come back!" Doll cried out as she sat up and extended her hand out. But she realized that she was reaching out for nothing. Instead of a bright light, there was a small desk with a writing quill and a bottle of ink. 'A dream,' she thought in frustration as she retracted her hand and placed it over her deformed eye. 'It was only a dream.' As she looked around, she noticed that she was lying in what looked like a queen-sized bed. Another good look showed that she was perhaps in a guest room at some elaborate house.

'Where am I?' she wondered. 'The las thing I remember was Father's house burning down and there was Smile and Bla-' Her eye widened as she remembered the pain in the back of her neck. Confusion soon turned to anger as she remembered the boy claiming that he murdered her family.

A sudden knock at the door jolted her from her thoughts. "Are you awake, Ms. Doll?" an elderly voice called out. "I've brought you your breakfast." Doll scan the room; if this was the only way she could escape her confinement and look for Smile, she needed something to defend herself. Her eye soon fell on a letter-opener that was on a nightstand to her right. She quickly grabbed it and ducked against a wall that blocked the view of the door. "Are you decent?" the elderly voice asked.

"Yes." Doll called out, trying to calm her tone of voice. "Come in." She heard the door open up and the rustle of a dinner cart moving closer and closer. Soon, an old man in his 60s with a dinner cart rounded the corner and stopped when he noticed the bed was empty.

Without a moment's hesitation, Doll lunged at the old man, hoping to at least injure him in order to get information. The old man, however, dodged the letter-opener and shoved her onto the ground. He then placed his left knee on her back to pin her down, placed his left hand on her shoulder, and twisted her arm around and up with his left. He began to move her arm further up, causing Doll to feel pain.

"You seem to be in some discomfort." The man said calmly as he kept his grip. "I'm terribly sorry, but I believe we can get off to a better start if you were to let go of the letter-opener."

"I'm not letting go until I get some answers!" Doll snapped, trying to ignore the pain in her arm. "First, where am I, and second, who are you?"

"Well to answer your first question, my dear, you are currently in the home of the Earl Ciel Phantomhive." The old man said with a smile. "As for me, my name is Tanaka. I am a steward for the young earl."

"You work fer him?" Doll asked. "Then take me to him, you hear? Take me to-AAAHHH!" She cried out as Tanaka raised her arm to the point of nearly breaking it.

"I can assure you, my dear, that I will take you to see Lord Phantomhive," Tanaka said, "right after you eat, bathe, and get dressed. But before any of that, I must insist that you drop the letter-opener." Despite wanting to resist, Doll knew that if she wanted to confront this Phantomhive boy, she would have to let go of the weapon. Besides, something about Tanaka made her feel as though he didn't want to hurt her intentionally. She loosened her grip, causing the letter-opener to slip out of her hand and clatter to the floor.

"Excellent." Tanaka said as he let go of Doll's arm and lifted his knee. Doll sat up immediately and held her arm in pain. "Once again," Tanaka said as he bowed in her direction, "I'm terribly sorry for any discomfort I may have caused you."

"Well, that's what I get for trying to attack old men." Doll said. Tanaka replied in kind with a chuckle.

"Now then," he said as he clapped his hands together, "if you would kindly sit at the desk, I shall bring your breakfast over." Doll took her place at the desk and waited while Tanaka brought over the covered silver tray. He then lifted the tray to reveal boiled eggs in eggcups, a heaping of bacon, a plate of roasted potatoes, toast with raspberry jam, and a cup of Earl Grey tea. Doll's mouth watered as she caught a whiff of the delicious aroma. "The young lord told me of the journey you had last night. He believed that you hadn't eaten much since then. Now," he continued as he made his way to the bedroom door, "I shall leave you to your meal. Once you are finished, please go to the bathtub and cleanse yourself. Afterwards, you shall dress yourself and meet me outside this door. Only then will I take you to see Lord Phantomhive." And with that, Tanaka took his leave.

Doll stared down at the food and began shoveling in her mouth. Her eyes watered with pure delight at how good it was. It was perhaps one of the best breakfasts she ever had. Once she had finished, she made her way to the bathroom and got into the tub. The water was extremely warm and soothing. She scrubbed every part of her body and dried herself. Much to her surprise, when she came out of the bathroom, she found the clothes she wore last night on the chair she had sat in a few minutes ago. She soon began to dress herself; the clothes felt clean and fresh, as though someone had just scrubbed and dried them. 'But that's impossible.' Doll thought as she felt her clothes. 'Nobody's that good.'

Shaking off this suspicion, Doll soon made her way to the door and opened it. Standing outside her room was Tanaka, along with a young woman who was dressed like a maid and wore glasses that were slightly cracked in one lens.

"Ah," Tanaka said. "Glad to see you're fully dressed and ready for the day."

"Yes," Doll nodded in agreement. "And thanks for the meal, Mr. Tanaka. It was right delicious."

"Oh, I had nothing to do with the meal." Tanaka said with a chuckle. "That would be Sebastian's doing."

"Sebastian?" Doll asked in surprise. "Are you referrin' to 'Black'?"

"Yes," Tanaka said. "Well, while he may be known to you as 'Black', he is known by everyone else as Sebastian. He is the head butler at this manor. He tends to the young master's every need, whether it's to serve his meals or to assist him with his guests. By the way, Ms. Doll," he said as he gestured to the young maid next to him, "this is Ms. Mey-Rin. She is also a servant of the manor."

"A pleasure to meet you, miss." Mey-Rin said as she bowed toward Doll. "I'm terribly sorry to have to do this."

"Have to do wha-HEY!" Doll cried out in surprise as Mey-Rin began to pat parts of her body up and down.

"You must understand that after the incident with the letter-opener, Ms. Doll," Tanaka explained, "we cannot run the risk of letting you see the young master with a weapon on you." Doll shot a glare at the old man.

"There doesn't appear to be anything on her, Tanaka." Mey-Rin said as she finished searching Doll.

"Very well, then." Tanaka said as he gestured down the hall. "If you would kindly follow me, Ms. Doll." Doll nodded and followed the old man. She saw numerous portraits of earls and countesses on the walls as they continued their journey. One portrait, however, caught her eye. It consisted of a man with black hair standing next to a woman with strawberry-blond hair. In her lap was what looked like a six-year-old Ciel Phantomhive.

"Pardon me," Doll said as Tanaka turned to see what she was looking at. "But is this…"

"Yes," Tanaka said as he looked at the portrait with a smile. "This was the old family portrait of the young master and his parents, Earl Vincent Phantomhive and his wife Countess Rachel Dalles-Phantomhive."

"They all look so happy." Doll said as she found herself smiling at the young Ciel.

"Indeed," Tanaka said with a hint of sadness in his voice. "Those were better days."

'Were?' Doll thought as she looked at the servant with confusion.

"A tale for the young master to tell." Tanaka said. "But for now, let us be on our way."

After walking for what felt like hours, they finally came across a set of oak doors with an emblem of two eagles and two oddly-shaped metal hinges. "The Phantomhive family crest." Tanaka said, taking note of Doll's intrigue. "Now, beyond this door, I believe that all of your questions will be answered." Just as Doll was about to reach for the door handle, Tanaka placed a hand on her wrist. "Are you sure you want to go in there?" He asked with concern. "For once you open those doors, there is no going back. And if you do ask the young master your questions, I fear you may not like the answers."

"I have to know, Mr. Tanaka." Doll said as she looked at the oak doors. "I have to know the reason why Ciel Phantomhive spared me. And more importantly, I need to know why he killed my family."

"Very well then," Tanaka said as he let go of her wrist and bowed. "I shall bid you good day…and good luck." And with that, the old man took his leave.

Doll's gaze turned to the double-doors; she grasped the handle and took a deep breath. 'All right,' She thought, 'here goes.' Slowly, she opened the doors to reveal an enormous study with bookcases, a lounge table and chair, and a large desk with a leather chair.

"How nice of you to join us." A familiar voice said. Doll turned her attention to the man standing next to the desk. Not to her surprise, it was Sebastian, dressed in his signature black suit. "I hope Tanaka was helpful toward you." Doll could only nod her head in approval. Her gaze then turned to the leather chair and the occupant sitting in it. It was Ciel Phantomhive, dressed in a ruffled shirt and a blue coat and leggings instead of the rags he wore while with the circus. She also noticed that instead of the Japanese eyepatch that he had at the circus, he now sported a black one over his right eye. Anger began to boil inside Doll as she looked at the boy who had ordered the executions of her family while her fists began to clench.

"Sit." Ciel said as he pointed to a chair that was in front of the desk. Doll, not averting her gaze from him, walked over and plopped down into the chair. "I am sure you have many questions, to which I will try to answer fully."

"You're damn right I do!" Doll said as she slam a fist onto one of the armrests. "But the biggest question I have is this: WHY DID YOU KILL MY FAMILY?"

Though she was looking at him with the utmost hatred, Ciel's face never faltered as he continued to look at Doll. "I suppose in order to answer that question, I would have to tell you what happened to me. Three years ago, on my tenth birthday, my parents were murdered."

'Oh great, a pity story.' Doll thought angrily.

"I was held captive by a secret organization of upper-class men and women for years along with various other children." Ciel continued. "We were beaten, tortured, and even branded. But worst of all…we were sacrificed."

"Sure you were." Doll said with a snide attitude. "And I'm the bloody queen of England."

Ciel then rose from his chair and made his way around the desk until he was closer to Doll. Then, he began to unbutton his outer coat. Once it fell to the floor, he then turned around and unbuttoned his shirt. He slid it slowly off his shoulders and down his back until it rested around his hips, giving Doll a full view of his back. Her checks turned a bright pink as she saw the sight before her. Then her eyes fell on a symbol that seemed to be branded into his skin. As she leaned in closer, her eyes widen in shock as she recognized the crest with the two serpents entwined with each other.

"That's…that's Fa-…Father's…" She couldn't even say it.

"Yes," Ciel said as Sebastian began to redress him. "It's the same crest that was on Kelvin's ring. He was part of the group that kidnapped me, but he wasn't with them when they had me. Their sole purpose was to sacrifice children in the hopes of summoning a demon." He made his way back to his chair and sat down. "For months, I prayed to God to help me. But in the end, he never answered them. Finally, after months of sacrifices, a demon was finally summoned in front of the organization. But it wasn't they who him." He added with a smile. At this, Ciel loosened the string attached to his eyepatch until it fell onto the desk. He then opened his right eye to reveal a purple pentagram where an eyeball should be; Doll gasped in shock by what she saw. "It was me." Ciel said with an air of pride. "I was the one who summoned the demon. It was I who made the contract with him and ordered him to kill the occupants in the chambers."

Doll found herself shaking from this news. 'This…this is impossible!' she thought. 'How can any of what he's sayin' actually be true?'

"Quite a fascinating story, isn't it?" Sebastian's voice said close to Doll's right ear. Doll cried out in surprise, stumbled out of the chair, and landed on the floor. "You must have known back at the circus that I am no ordinary butler, my dear." Sebastian said as he loomed over the girl. His eyes suddenly changed from light-brown to bright-red. "Nor human, for that matter." He added as a black aura of menace began to form around him. Doll wanted to scream at the top of her lungs as she looked at the monstrosity before her, but all that came out were raspy gasps as the demon returned to his human form.

"C-Ciel Ph-Phantomhive…" Doll stuttered as she turned to look at the boy, who was smiling as though he were an imp playing a cruel trick. "W-What the bloody hell are you?"

"I am known by many names." Ciel said as he reattached his eyepatch. "But I am mostly called 'the Queen's Guard Dog'. As head of the Phantomhive family, it is my duty to police the underworld and act upon her Majesty's orders when something threatens her empire."

"But, I don't understand." Doll said as she slowly sat back into her chair. "What does your role and what happened to you years ago have to do with you killing my family?"

"There were numerous reports of children missing throughout the country." Ciel said. "From what I gathered from my contacts, they had all occurred when the Noah's Ark Circus was in their towns."

"So you were ordered by the Queen to look into them, eh?" Doll asked.

"Indeed." Ciel stated with a nod. "Sebastian and I were tasked to pose as circus performers and use that cover to gather more information. We soon discovered a picture of you, your family, and Kelvin. When I recognized the crest on his ring, I knew that these abductions were somehow similar to mine. When we decided to visit Kelvin, my suspicions were confirmed. He was indeed holding the children captive and performing the ritual on his own."

As Ciel continued his story, Doll felt as though she was torn. On one hand, she didn't want to believe the horrible things that Ciel was saying. But on the other, she felt as though he was telling her the truth. Maybe Father wasn't the kind-hearted man she and the others thought he was. Maybe he was nothing more than a deranged, psychotic bastard. If she was being honest with herself, neither she nor any of the other performers knew what Father wanted with the children they kidnapped.

"Those children were suffering a fate so much worse than death." Ciel said. "And to make matters worse, it turned out that Doctor was involved."

"You're lying!" Doll said as she rose from her chair. "Father may have been all the things you say he is, but Doc's different. He's kind-hearted, he treats us when we need him, he-"

"Was just as psychotic as Kelvin was." Ciel interrupted, not wanting to hear the false traits of the mad man. "Once the children were sacrificed, Kelvin gave their bones to Doctor. Doctor then used those bones to create body parts."

"Body parts?" Doll asked. "What kind of body parts would be made from the bones of children?"

"What do you think Joker's, Beast's, and Dagger's appendages were made of?" Ciel asked.

Doll's eyes widened in shock and her face paled. "That's…that's ain't true. You're…you're bloody lying."

"I wish I was." Ciel said as he gazed down at his desk sadly.

Doll's face pivoted down to her knees. There was no way any of this could be true; she felt as though she was going to be violently sick. "Joker had the same reaction when it was revealed to him the origin of his arm." Ciel said, noticing the paleness of Doll's face.

"And the others?" Doll asked, once she had composed herself enough to talk. "Beast, Dagger, Jumbo, Peter, Wendy…how did they die?"

"My servants." Ciel said. "Beast and the others may be skilled, but my servants are trained killers. Their duty is to protect the manor and, thus, myself from any intruders who wish to cause harm." Seeing Doll's angry face, Ciel added, "It was never my full intention to have them killed, Doll. Only to arrest them and have them pay for their crimes." His eye widen a bit, however, when he heard a small chuckle from the girl.

"Even if you had tried to talk them into surrenderin', they wouldn't even listen." Doll said as she smiled softly. "Knowing the lot of them, they would have died fighting." Ciel couldn't help but smile a little himself as he remembered the troupe as well. At times, they could be stubborn, obnoxious, and ignorant fools. However, they also displayed acts of loyalty, caring, and dedication towards their way of life and to each other.

"Now that you know the truth," Ciel said once he shook the memories of the performers out of his thoughts, "What do you plan to do now that they are gone?"

At this, Doll rose from her chair, all the while not breaking her eye contact from Ciel. Sebastian began to move in front of Ciel, but the young earl raised a hand, indicating to his loyal butler that no actions were needed. The butler nodded in understanding and slowly backed away. "There's a workhouse on the outskirts of London that we called Renbourn. It houses all the other orphans that Kelvin had under his care." Doll said. "I plan to travel there, gather 'em, and then…" she paused for a bit before she said, "I'm not sure what will happen from there."

"I see," Ciel said as he stood up and turned to his butler. "Sebastian," he ordered, "Find out what town the Renbourn Workhouse is and procure three train tickets for tomorrow."

"Of course, my Lord." The butler said as he bowed to the young master.

"Three?" Doll asked quizzically as she looked at Ciel.

"Indeed." Ciel said. "Sebastian and I will be going with you to Renbourn Workhouse. Now that Baron Kelvin is dead, the house will need someone to supervise it. Since I am the one that killed him, I feel it an obligation to see it myself and possibly take over."

This sudden announcement, however, caused Doll to clench her fists in anger as she glared at the young earl. "Don't you dare think that this little declaration you've just made isn't going to get you on me good side." Doll in a deep threatening tone. "I hate you, Ciel Phantomhive. You killed my family; I wouldn't forgive you for what you did for the rest of me days. And when I am reunited with me brothers and sisters at the workhouse, I never want to see you ever again." And with that, she stormed over to the door and swung it open to leave. Before she did, however, she turned to the boy while still keeping a stern face and asked, "What did you do to their bodies?"

"We couldn't find the bodies of Dagger and Beast," Ciel said, "But we were able to locate the bodies of Peter, Wendy, and Jumbo. All three are buried over by the edge of the forest, if you wish to pay your respects."

Doll nodded and began to close the door, but not before uttering a small "Thank you" before shutting the door entirely. She then made her way down the hall until she came across a cushioned bench. It was only when she sat down on it that she covered her mouth and began to cry. She stayed there for what seemed like ages.

* * *

After a while, she then made her way throughout the mansion to know her surroundings. The hallways seemed to go on for miles; it was like an elaborate maze. If she had to guess, Doll would say that the Phantomhive Manor was much larger and more elaborate than Kelvin's manor.

After a while, she saw the maid Mey-Rin carrying a large stack of plates that looked like they were about to fall. "Um, Ms. Mey-Rin…" Doll said as she nervously looked up at the stack of dinnerware, "Do you need any help?"

"Oh, Ms. Doll!" Mey-Rin said excitedly as she peeked out from behind the plates. "Don't worry about me, I've got all of this under con-GAH!" She cried out as she slipped and the plates flew up into the air. As they descended, however, Doll felt something race past her in a hurry. A second later, Sebastian was holding a balanced set of plates in each hand as though they had miraculously stacked on top of each other perfectly.

"Mey-Rin." Sebastian said with a hint of exhaustion in his voice. "How many times have I told you to not carry so many plates at once?"

"So sorry, Sebastian!" Mey-Rin said as she stood up all flustered and bowing before the butler. "It was right foolish of me to do so."

"Are you alright, Ms. Rin?" Doll asked as she looked at the maid with concern. "You ain't hurt, are you?"

"Oh, I'm fine, Ms. Doll." Mey-Rin said with a smile. "Thank you so much for your concern, though. I best get the drinking glasses for tonight's dinner." And with that, she ran off.

'What is with the blokes in this bloody manor?' Doll thought.

"If you wish," Sebastian said as his voice snapped Doll from her thoughts, "You could go outside to the manor and have a look around. It's such a pleasant day; quite rare to have in London."

Doll didn't say anything, but decided to take Sebastian's advice and went out into the gardens. The gardens were just as elaborate and beautiful as the manor itself. Bushes with different types of flowers ran along the garden in a perfect line. So perfect that not one branch stuck out oddly. Off in the distance, she could see a large, glass greenhouse and an equally large hedge maze. And in the center, she noticed a small table with two small chairs around it. 'Must be where Ciel sits when he has company over.' She thought.

"Oi! Who's there?" A voice called out, causing Doll to jump in surprise. Standing to her right at the base of the stairs leading to the garden was a young boy who looked to be about 16 years old. He had on brown pants, a tan shirt and work gloves. Situated around his neck with rope was a small sunhat. He was also carrying a small tank of what smelled like weed killer. As he made his way to her, his once stern face turned into one of surprise and excitement. "Oh, you must be the girl the young master brought home last night!" He said in a more chipper tone.

"Um…yeah, I am." Doll said, unsure of how to such a sudden change of character in a person.

"Name's Finnian." The boy said with a smile. "I'm the gardener here at the manor. I was just about to use this weed killer 'ere to take care of the plants when you showed up."

"Ah." Doll said in response and then asked, "Tell me somethin'. Why do you work for such a mean and cruel master like Ciel Phantomhive?"

"Oh, well the young master may be a bit harsh at times and can seem ungrateful." Finnian said with a small smile. "But it's because of him and Sebastian that we servants are able to do things other than killing."

"Killing?" Doll asked in confusion.

At this, Finnian's smile lessened slightly. "Yeah." He said. "Before we servants came to the manor, all we ever knew was to kill. Bard, the chef, 'e was a former sergeant in the American Army. Before she came here, Mey-Rin was a merc for hire who didn't care who she killed, as long as she got paid. As for meself," He stopped as he placed the hat on his head and leaned back so that Doll could see the code "S-012" tattooed on the back of his neck, "I was experimented on by these blokes who wanted to turn me into a super-soldier. They injected me with this stuff that gave me super-strength. They wanted to make me into a monster."

While hearing the tale, Doll couldn't help but feel a little sadden for the three servants. They were all damaged just like her. "But how does any of that have to do with Phantomhive?" She asked.

"Oh, well," Finnian said with a regained smile as he continued to pump the weeds around the garden, "Sebastian and the young master came to each of us. Sebastian taught us how to do our own jobs and the young master gave us all the things we wanted. Like me, after being cooped up in that God-awful place for so long, all I ever wanted to do was be outside. This here job lets me have that option and I couldn't be more grateful to the young mas-"

"Uh, Finny?" Doll said as she pointed at the shrubbery with a deadpanned expression. "The…plants…"

"Why; what's wrong with-GAH!" Finnian cried out as he saw that the bush he had been spraying was dry, brown, and brittle. "I must 'ave used too much extra-strength weed killer. I've killed it!"

"Killed another bush again, Finnian?" Once again, the sound of Sebastian's voice from behind caused Doll to jump a little in terror.

'Can't he approach others in front of 'em like a normal person?' Doll thought in annoyance.

"Well then, Finnian," Sebastian said exhaustedly, "it would appear that we will have to purchase and plant a new one. Finnian," he continued as he glanced at the boy, "perhaps it would be best if you were to work in the greenhouse for the day. I doubt you'll be able to kill as much plant-life in there than if you were to work outside."

At this, Finnian's face lit up with delight; he always loved working in the greenhouse. "Blimey, that would be excellent!" He said with excitement. "Thanks Sebas-"

"BOOM!"

A sudden explosion rocked the estate, causing Doll and Finnian to fall to the ground with Sebastian standing perfectly still. "WHAT THE BLOODY HELL WAS THAT?" Doll cried out in terror. "WAS THAT CANNONFIRE?"

"Highly doubtful." Sebastian said coolly. "More than likely, that was the chef Baldroy. No doubt he ended up burning tonight's dinner…again."

"Maybe we ought to go check up on him." Finnian suggested. At this, all three made their way to the side of the house where they came across a large brick oven set up outside with smoke billowing out of it. On the ground beside it was a man in his mid-30s covered head to toe in black soot and coughing profusely. "Bard!" Finnian said as he ran toward the man. "Bard, you alright?"

"Yeah, well," Bard said as he stood up, "I tried to cook the meat faster, so I use me flamethrower thinkin' that would work."

'What bloody chef uses a flamethrower thinkin' it'll cook a meal faster?' Doll thought in utter bewilderment.

"At least this time you didn't blow up the kitchen, Baldroy." Sebastian said in a monotone voice. "Finnian," he added as he glanced back at the boy, "why don't you help out Baldroy instead?" Finnian nodded as he began to stoke the fire for the brick oven. "And Ms. Doll," Sebastian continued as his gaze turned to the girl and he pointed a finger at the outskirts of the woods, "I believe what you are looking for is right there."

Doll's gaze fell on six makeshift crosses with freshly dug-up dirt at the base of three of them. As she made her way closer, she was able to make out the writing on each of them:

_Jumbo_

_Peter_

_Wendy_

_Dagger_

_Beast_

_Joker_

"Though we couldn't find the remains of the last three," Sebastian said, "the young lord insisted that they should have their own graves. Now if you excuse me, I have to solve whatever other problems the servants have caused." And with that, he took his leave.

Doll stared at the crosses and felt her legs give out as she fell to her knees. She cast her head downwards as fresh tears began to flow from her eyes. This was the final destination for her family: crudely dug graves and wooden crosses held together by twine. 'They deserve bette'.' She thought to herself. She soon wiped away her tears and stood up, wiping away the dirt that was on her pants. 'Tomorrow, I'll be free from Phantomhive.' She thought. 'Soon…I can get the rest of me brothers and sisters and we can leave all this behind.' And with a small smile at the crosses, she went off to see what else the manor had to offer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **And with that, the first chapter has come to an end. Sorry if the ending feels rushed; I wanted to get this chapter out there because I have been writing it for months now. Also, sorry if Doll, Mey-Rin, Baldroy, and Finnian's dialect is hard to understand. I was never good at writing choppy English dialogue.**
> 
> **Anyway, if you do end up liking it and want more, don't forget to favorite, comment and follow.**
> 
> **Until then, this is AnimeFan299110 encouraging you all to enjoy this chapter. You see, I am simply one hell of an author.**


	2. His Butler, Hospitable

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doll, Ciel, and Sebastian travel to the Renbourne Workhouse.

**Well guys, here is the newest chapter to "Black and White Roses". I do not own the rights to Kuroshitju, it's characters or locations. They are all property of They are all owned by Yana Toboso, Square Enix, A-1 Pictures, and Funimation.**

* * *

"Good morning, my Lord." Sebastian said as he opened Ciel's bedroom curtains slowly so as to not let too much sunlight blind his master so harshly. "I assume your night with the young lady went well." He added amusingly.

"Young lady?" Ciel asked in annoyed confusion as he slowly open his eyes. "What are you-" He immediately stopped talking as he had just noticed what his butler had meant. Doll was sleeping next to him wearing her day clothes and snoring loudly. As Ciel took in his surroundings, he noticed that she had draped her right arm and leg draped over his body as she lay atop the comforter.

"GET OFF OF ME!" Ciel cried out as he shoved Doll so hard she fell off the bed.

"Oi!" Doll exclaimed. "What the bloody hell was that for?"

"I think the better question is why you were in my bed." Doll snapped back with his face a light shade of pink.

"I told ya back at the circus," Doll said as she rubbed the back of her head, "I can't sleep by meself. I've always been comfertable while sleepin' with someone."

"Well outside of the circus, unmarried people sleep in separate beds!" Ciel said as he spat out the last three words.

"Forgive me for interrupting your squabbling," Sebastian interjected, "but we do a train to catch this morning. Now today's breakfast consists of a poached salmon and mint salad. I have also prepared a scone, toast, and champagne*. Which would you prefer, my Lord?"

"Toast this time." Ciel said as he rose out of bed.

"I'd prefer the scone, actually." Doll chimed in with a smile.

"NO ONE ASKED FOR YOUR OPINION!" Ciel yelled. "NOW GET OUT AND GET READY!"

"Could've just said 'please'." Doll muttered under her breath as she walked out of Ciel bedroom and slammed the door behind her.

Ciel let out a sigh of exhaustion as he heard her footsteps go silent. 'How can one girl fill me with such irritation?' He thought. 'Well, at least I only have to deal with her for today and then she'll be gone.' He then heard a slight chuckle from behind him and turned to his demon butler. "You're getting a rise out of this, aren't you?" He asked with a glare.

"My apologies, my Lord." Sebastian said as he poured his master a cup of Earl Gray tea. "I just find it a bit amusing that someone such as yourself would be easily flustered and frustrated by the mere presence of someone as lowly and rebellious as her. She would have made a decent servant to have around the manor; she might have even taught Bard, Mey-Rin, and Finny a few lessons in proper servitude."

"She wishes to return to the rest of her family." Ciel said as he slowly sipped his tea, which was perfect as always. "It's the least I can do for her after what we did to Joker and the others."

"Of course, my Lord." Sebastian said with a bow. "Now, I shall prepare your bath for you. It should be ready by the time you are done with breakfast."

Two hours later, Ciel, Sebastian and Doll found themselves at the train station walking towards a private train car. "My apologies, my Lord," Sebastian said as he opened the car door, "but they only had first-class compartments available."

"It will do for now." Ciel muttered as he climbed in.

"Excuse me." A small voice said out of the blue as Doll was about to step in with the young earl. All three turned to look down and saw a little girl with a basket full of oranges standing right in front of them. "Care for an orange?" The little girl asked with a smile as she held one up. "It's one penny".

Doll soon became aware of movement to her left. She turned and saw Ciel holding out some coins. "Get two." He said simply. Doll only nodded in response as she took the coins and made her way toward the girl. Sebastian, meanwhile, proceeded into the train car.

"Two oranges, please." Doll said with a smile. The little girl handed her two good oranges while Doll handed her the money. "Now don't go spendin' it on sweets." Doll said as she took the two fruits. "Take it straight home to ya mum; understand?"

"Yes, miss." The little girl said with a smile. "May God's blessing be with you on your journey."

The train whistle blew all of a sudden, signaling its departure. "Blimey, I gotta go!" Doll exclaimed as she took her oranges and ran into the train car. As the locomotive began to move, Doll stuck her head out and waved at the little girl who waved back in kind. Once the girl was out of view, Doll moved back into the car.

"So now that the city's behind us," Ciel began as Doll handed the two oranges to Sebastian, "What will you plan to do when you find your siblings?"

"Not real sure, actually." Doll said. "We might look for somethin' north, maybe a nice family to take us in. I'm more concerned with findin' shelter n' food."

"You care about your younger siblings very much, don't you?" Sebastian asked politely as he handed her an orange with the top half opened. She gladly took and began eating.

"I have to." Doll said. "Their me family, after all." Sebastian only nodded in understanding.

* * *

The rest of the train ride was uneventful; after she had finished her orange, Doll spent the rest of her time looking out the window at the passing fields and townsfolk. Behind her, she could hear Ciel and Sebastian discussing something. She quickly blocked them out and drifted off to sleep; she was still exhausted from the night before.

As soon as he made sure Doll was asleep, Sebastian turned to the young earl. "My lord," He stated, "may I ask a question?"

"What?" Ciel asked in annoyance.

"About your declaration to oversee the children at the Renbourn Workhouse," the butler began, "were you perhaps showing sympathy?"

Ciel only glanced downward and said "Cleaning up the mess is the Phantomhive's job. There's no need to sacrifice the public over the selfish actions of the underground."

"Then why did you kill those children?" Sebastian further inquired.

Looking toward his fruit, Ciel said "I've seen many things like those children in the past. When they became that way, there was no going back."

"So…" Sebastian said with a cruel smile, "They would be happier in death? How arrogant."

"Do non-arrogant people exist?" Ciel asked as he shared the exact smile.

"I have never met one, my Lord." Sebastian replied with a small chuckle.

"Weak humans, more over children." Ciel said as he gently licked the orange juice from his fingers. "How much strength do you think they would have needed to come back from a condition like that? Back then, I accidently summoned a demon so that I could receive the power to come back. However, at the Kelvin Manor the only demon was you…and that demon is mine."

Ciel's eyes then turned to the sleeping Doll before he continued his explanation. "Besides, if it gives her closure then so be it. As for you," he added as he glanced toward his butler, "you will not be asking me anymore questions, understand?"

"Of course, my Lord." Sebastian replied simply as he made a small bow.

* * *

After an hour or two, the train stopped in the middle of a rural area. Sebastian nudged Doll awake and she groggily joined him and Ciel as they exited the train. As soon as the train left the station, the three of them came across a farmer who was hauling hay and milk cans onto his cart.

"Excuse me good sir," Sebastian stated, "but would you know where the Renbourne Workhouse is?"

"The Renbourne Workhouse?" The farmer asked in surprise. "Yeah, I know where it is."

"Could you let them ride in the back until we get there?" Sebastian asked as he gestured to both Doll and Ciel.

"Since it's on my way, I don't mind sir." The farmer said. "But what business do you lot have over there?"

"Just a few little things." Sebastian said as he handed the farmer a few pounds. Nodding his head, the farmer motioned for Ciel and Doll to climb up into the back, to which they obliged.

As they made their way through the nearby town with Sebastian walking beside them, they soon came across two children, a boy and a girl, singing what sounded like a nursery rhyme.

_Tom, he was a piper's son,_

_He learnt to play when he was young,_

_And all the tune that he could play_

_Was 'over the hills and far away';_

_Over the hills and a great way off,_

_The wind shall blow my top-knot off._

As the children ran past them, Doll couldn't help but smile a little upon hearing the nostalgic song.

"Reminiscing, are we?" Ciel asked causing Doll to turn her head towards him.

"It was a song that me, Joker, and the others learned from Kelvin when we were younger." She said sadly. "Probably was the only decent thing that man ever did."

Before Ciel could further question her, the cart stopped moving, thus indicating that they had reached their destination. Both he and Doll stepped off of the cart and saw a dirt road that ran upwards over a hill. "It should be over that hill there." The farmer stated before he continued on his way.

"You lead the way." Ciel said as he and Sebastian stepped aside for Doll. She quickly marched ahead of them while they lagged behind her. The three of them walked in silence, wondering what they might find on the other side of the hill. When they reached the top, a sudden gust of wind blew through, caused Doll to raise her arms up to protect her eyes and Ciel to hold on to his top hat. When the wind died down, both opened their eyes only for them to widen in shock and disbelief.

Where there should have been a building with children running or playing about was a dilapidated ruin instead. There were gaping holes in the sides of the workhouse with a huge section of the roof completely gone. The grass surrounding the property was completely overgrown and the windowpanes were either stained from lack of care or broken beyond repair. Even the sign over the entrance that was meant to say "Renbourne Workhouse" was missing a few letters while the section for "Workhouse" had fallen completely off.

Doll walked silently toward the ruins, the shock never leaving her face. A few seconds later, Sebastian joined Ciel's side and his face turned to one of surprise at the sight before him. Slowly, the earl and his butler moved toward the ruins in order to keep an eye on Doll, but far enough to give her some privacy.

As he saw Doll stop in front of the ruins in disbelief, Ciel felt something brush against his right shoe. He glanced down and saw what looked like a dirty and ratty old teddy bear. Noticing this, Sebastian knelt down and picked up the toy. "Seeing the way this place has aged, it has been uninhabited for a considerable amount of time." He said as he continued to stare at it. "In any case, it seems Baron Kelvin was lying. Judging by the way that Doctor was talking, the children from here were probably…"

Sebastian's words, however, fell on deaf ears as Joker and Doll's words reverberated through Ciel's mind.

_"Please don't kill him! Even if he's like that, he still saved us! And we still have so many of our brothers in the workhouse."_

_"…Give…I WON'T FORGIVE YOU!"_

It was at that moment that Ciel was snapped out of his thoughts when he heard Doll utter something and saw that her shoulders were raising up and down quickly. "Doll...are you…?" It may have been the young lord's imagination, but it almost sounded like she was…

"AH HA HA HA HA HA! AH HA HA HA HA HA!" Doll laughed maniacally as she clutched her stomach with her right hand and her covered eye with her left. Both Ciel and Sebastian looked on in shock at the sudden response as the young girl continued to laugh hysterically. Despite knowing how to react to every situation, neither one of them knew how to react to this.

"IT WAS A JOKE!" Doll exclaimed as she glanced at the earl and his butler. "Don't you two see it? It was all just a bloody joke! We kidnapped all those children and sent them to die. And we did it to protect our brothers and sisters." Her gaze then turned to the abandoned ruins as she continued. "And in the end…JOKER AND THE OTHERS ENDED UP DYIN' PROTECTING SOMETHIN' THAT DIDN'T EVEN EXIST!" She cried out as what looked like tears began to cascade down her face.

"And now I'm the only one left…oh God…" she said quietly as the realization of her situation hit her like a train. Her legs soon gave out and she fell to her knees. Ciel and Sebastian ran toward her to assist her, but stopped when she leaned forward and gripped the dry grass with her hands as tears continued to fall from her eyes. "They're all gone. I'm all alone." She muttered as her body continued to shake.

Once again, that feeling Ciel had when he saw Doll running towards him and Sebastian the other night resurfaced inside him once again…pity. Though he tried to not feel this way toward anyone or anything, he couldn't help himself as he looked down at the poor girl before him.

Slowly, the young earl walked toward her until he stopped a few inches before her. Doll soon became aware of a shadow looming over her and she glanced up to see the young earl standing before her. "You're only truly alone if nobody cares about you." He said softly. "And that's not you, Doll. Joker and the others may be gone, but there are still those of us who care about you." He then extended his right hand out to her and said "Come back with me and Sebastian; live in my manor."

"Why me?" Doll asked through her tears. "Why should I be offered this choice and not someone else?"

"Because I know what it's like to feel alone." Ciel said. "During my captivity, I felt as though I had lost everything. My parents…my home…even my own sense of innocence and humanity. But then I remembered the people that were still alive who did care about me. As long as they were there for me, I knew I would never be alone in this world. And you're not alone, either." He added as his gaze never faltered from Doll. "I implore you; come back with us."

Doll was at a loss for words. The boy who had murdered her family was asking her to live with him! If she were in any other situation, she would have called him a mad man for making such an offer to the person who tried to kill him not too long ago. She was almost tempted to laugh at him for being a fool. But before she could, however, she suddenly remembered Joker's words to her in her dream.

_"Live for us, Doll. Live for us."_

She knew Joker and the others would never want her to be sad and alone. If anything, they always wanted her to be happy. Besides, even if they were gone, she was sure she could find that same happiness with the Phantomhive servants.

Deciding right then and there what she had to do, Doll took Ciel Phantomhive's hand and lifted herself up. As she wiped away her tears, Ciel took out a handkerchief and wiped away the remnants from just under her eye. "T-Thanks." She said shakily. Ciel only responded with a reassuring smile.

Sebastian, meanwhile, had taken it upon himself to turn his back in order to give them both some privacy. When he heard Ciel making the offer, however, he couldn't help but smile to himself as he looked to the sky. 'Humans truly are such fascinating creatures.' He thought. 'One could spend his entire demon life studying all there is to know about them. And yet,' He added as he took a sideways glance at his master and the girl, 'they will always find ways to surprise you somehow.'

"Sebastian," Ciel's voice called out as the butler turned to face him and Doll. "We're leaving."

"Of course, my Lord." The demon butler said with a bow. And with that, the three of them descended down the hill, not even taking a second glance at the dilapidated ruins behind them.

* * *

Once they had reached the bottom of the hill, they came across a farmer heading towards the train station. After he escorted them to their destination, Sebastian purchased three tickets for London and soon all three were on the train within 20 minutes heading south.

"Now then," Sebastian said, putting his hands together, "We shall now have to discuss your living arrangements, my dear."

"Livin' arrangements?" Doll asked as she tilted her head in confusion.

"While you are staying at the manor, you will be tasked in helping out the servants." Ciel said simply. Doll smiled at this; she always loved doing manual labor. "However," the young earl added with a sly smirk, "you will also be tasked in helping me with my missions. Thus, we will have to teach you how to act like a proper noblewoman."

"What?!" Doll exclaimed with a mixture of horror and surprise. Wearing a dress while performing in front of hundreds of people was easy since she was taught to appreciate it for Joker's sake. But dressing up in fancy clothes and acting prim and proper in front of noblemen and women? She wondered if it was too late to strike out on her own instead.

"Indeed." Sebastian said. "You will have to learn all of the steps necessary to become a proper noblewoman. We shall have to start with your elegance in terms of your eating and speech. Forgive me for saying so, my dear," He added with a false smile, "but both are simply wretched compared to that of a noblewoman."

'Why do I get the feelin' you ain't sorry?' Doll thought in annoyance as she glared at the butler.

"Also, we'll have to give you a new identity." Ciel chimed in. "I believe the best course is to say that you are the daughter of an old family friend who has gone traveling on business and has left you in my care. After some time, we'll have to explain that your parents have died and have placed you in my care." Doll's mind was abuzz with disbelief. First lessons on elegance and now a false backstory? It was all just too much to take in so quickly. "And, of course, you'll need a new name." Ciel concluded.

At this, Doll turned to look at him. "A new name?" she asked.

"Indeed." Ciel replied simply. "Doll is not a common name among the nobles. So you will need a name that is. There are a few interesting ones, like Camilla, Anne, Catherine,…"

"Diana."

Sebastian and Ciel both turned to look at Doll when they heard her utter that single word. "Could you repeat that?" Ciel asked.

"Diana." Doll said again. "Why not that name?"

"An excellent choice, my dear." Sebastian said. "Now, we will have to meet up with Ms. Hopkins about making you dresses and other fabrics. I shall have to call her for an appointment next week. Until then, we shall start your lessons tomorrow with…"

Drowning out Sebastian's rambling, Ciel turned his gaze toward Doll and was a tad surprised to see a saddened look on her face. He dismissed it, however, and gave his full attention to the rolling countryside.

* * *

By the time the three of them arrived at the Phantomhive Manor, the last remnants of the sun were settling on the tops of the trees in the forest. After Sebastian told the servants of Doll's situation, they were more than willing to accept her as both a fellow helper and the "lady of the house". The butler then informed Doll over dinner that they would begin her elegance lessons tomorrow morning at breakfast. Though she was reluctant at first, Doll agreed.

It was around 8 o'clock in Doll's room; she had just gotten into a nightgown and was about to tuck in for the night when she heard a knock at her door. "Who's there?" she asked.

"It's me." Ciel's voice called out from the other side of the door. "Open up." Doll quickly obliged and opened the door to reveal Ciel, who was wearing his own nightgown, and Sebastian holding a candelabra in his left hand. "We need to talk." The young earl said before turning to the butler and adding, "Wait out here for me." The butler only nodded silently in response.

Once Sebastian closed the door behind them, Ciel walked around Doll's living quarters for a few seconds before he finally spoke. "So," he said as his gaze fell upon the girl, "I take it Sebastian has already told you of your schedule for tomorrow?" Doll only nodded in response. "And that you will be taught how to eat and speak properly?" He continued to ask and she only nodded. "Good." Ciel said, thus ending the questioning.

Doll, however, could not hold her tongue anymore. "He did," she began, "but I'm guessin' you ain't here to review me plans for tomorrow eh?" She moved closer to Ciel before asking, "You wanna' know somethin' else, don't ya?"

The young earl couldn't help but give a knowing smile at the question. 'There's no fooling her, that's for sure.' He thought in amusement. "Yes, it's about what happened earlier on the train back to London." He said as he looked up at Doll. "When I was giving examples of royal names for your guise, you mentioned the name Diana right off the top of your head." His eyes then narrowed as he continued. "It seemed a bit odd that you immediately thought that name in that moment. And the fact that I noticed you were looking gloomy after suggesting it." At this, Ciel paused to notice a few beads of sweat forming on Doll's forehead.

"Am I to assume that there is some deeper meaning behind it?" He asked curiously. Doll only nodded in defeat as she turned away from the earl and looked at the mirror of her wash stand. "It's what you were called before you met Joker and the others, wasn't it?" Ciel asked more calmly. "It's the name your parents gave you. The name you were born with."

Doll nodded as she moved the hair that covered her left eye over her ear to reveal the deformity. "Even though I was born with that name, me parents never addressed me that way. It was either 'brat', 'filth', or sometimes 'bitch'." She then gripped the sides of the wash stand tightly as she continued. "When I met Joker and the others, I tried to forget everythin' about me past. I even tried to forget me own name." She chuckled disappointedly at her reflection in the mirror. "Guess life doesn't give you the option to, eh?"

At her words, Ciel walked over and said, "Well, if it makes you feel any better, I could always address you as 'Doll' whenever we don't have company."

Doll couldn't help but smile a bit as she wiped the tears from her eyes and covered up the deformity. "Thanks." She said meekly.

"Now," Ciel said as he looked up at the clock perched on the mantle, "it's getting late and you should get into bed."

Nodding her head in agreement, Doll climbed into her bed and wished Ciel good night. Ciel only nodded in response and left the room. Meeting Sebastian on the other side of the door, Ciel made his way to his room and got into bed, wishing his butler good night.

As Sebastian closed the door to his master's bed chambers, he contemplated locking it. In the end, however, he decided against it. 'Just in case the young lady needs some comfort later on tonight.' He thought mischievously. He then began to walk down the darkened hall towards his own quarters. 'Sleep well, my Lord.' He thought. 'Because starting tomorrow…life at the manor is about to become more interesting.'

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **And with that, the latest chapter of "Black and White Roses" has ended. In regards to Doll's name, I decided to name her "Diana" because the name comes from the Roman goddess of the hunt, the moon, nature, and fertility, and I have deep respect for Princess Diana, William and Harry's mother.**
> 
> **Also, don't forget to favorite, comment, and follow for more content in the future. In addition, I will not be adding more to this story until the next year. So Happy Halloween, Happy Holidays, and I will see you all next year.**
> 
> **This is AnimeFan299110 encouraging you all to enjoy this story. You see I am simply one hell of an author.**


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